john boehner's got to make a decision. is he going to put a majority of members on an agreement, democrats and republicans together, or will he bring nothing to the floor unless he has a majority of republicans? if it's the latter, it's going to be harder to get to a deal. he can take 150 democrats and 75 or 80 or 90 republicans and get a deal more quickly than he can take a majority of his caucus. and that's really his role in leadership, what's he going to do there. i heard you talking about the "lincoln" movie a while ago. that's the kind of leadership speaker boehner will need to show, and i think he eventually will. it's less a fiscal cliff than it is a slide or an incline plane or whatever. but i think that, you know, soon after the 1st, if we haven't done it by then when all the tax rates go and all the changes happen, we get serious and something happens, and i think speaker boehner will be part of it. that's why i'm generally optimistic within the next month if not within the next few weeks. >> i hope so. senator